Sources have told Rukhshana Media that two prominent Taliban officials in southern Afghanistan have married women less than half their age as their second wives after the group seized power last August.
Mohammad Yosuf Wafa, known as Haji Wafa, the Taliban’s governor for Kandahar province, who is 50, married a woman, who is between 18 and 20-year-old, a source close to him revealed.
He said Haji Wafa paid 3.6 million Pakistani rupees, an amount equal to 17,324 USD, to his new father-in-law in exchange for marrying his daughter. The marriage happened about five months ago.
“His wedding was held silently and he did not invite many guests,” he said.
The second Taliban official, who married after the group’s takeover is Hafez Rashid Helmandi, the director of the Information and Culture department in Helmand province. He is also 50, and his new wife is around 20-year-old, according to a source close to him. Helmandi is originally from Sangin district of Helmand. He has paid 2.8 million Pakistani rupees, over 13,000 USD, to his bride’s family. The marriage took place a few months after the Taliban regained power.
Reports of such marriages prompted Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, to issue an order in January, asking his government’s officials not to marry for the second, third and fourth time.
“We instruct officials of the Islamic Emirate, in accordance with Islamic Sharia (Islamic jurisprudence), to avoid second, third, and fourth marriage if there is no need,” read his message, according to a report by VOA. “Families of several officials of the Islamic Emirate do not have a lot of money. Therefore, more marriages could affect their prestige, trustworthiness, and personality.”
Akhunzada’s January order has not apparently been taken seriously. So he issued a new instruction in May, reiterating his January edict, and ordering the ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice to report those who “violate” his order, according to a document published by ToloNews.
It wasn’t clear how much money Haji Wafa and Helmandi spent on their wedding parties in addition to the amount each paid to their brides’ families.
A second source confirmed the second marriage of Haji Wafa. He said his new wife is from the Timur area of Maiwand district of Kandahar, and her name is Razia.
Haji Wafa, whose real name is Aminullah, has close ties to Akhundzada, the Taliban’s top leader. He is one of the most influential Taliban leaders in the south. Originally from Spin Boldak district, he was the Taliban’s shadowy governor for Kandahar for five years during the group’s insurgency before he officially became governor after the fall of the former Afghan government.
Mahmood Azam, his spokesman, rejected the news about Haji Wafa’s second marriage.
“Talks about the wedding of esteemed Haji Wafa are untrue, and they are just ignorant propaganda,” he said. “The governor clearly says I haven’t married” for the second time and “I have no intention” to do so.
Hafez Rashid Helmandi couldn’t be reached for comment.
For some Taliban leaders and commanders, marrying for the second and third time has become a new way of celebrating their victory over the U.S. and Afghan forces after two decades of fighting.
Bilal Fateh Sangin, a known Taliban commander in eastern Afghanistan, married his second wife in May. He held an extravagant wedding party amid celebratory gunshots in Nirkh district of Maidan Wardak province, Afghanistan International reported last month. He paid two million Afghani, an amount more than 22,000 USD, only as dowry to the bride’s family, according to the report.
Hayatullah Mujahid, a Taliban commander who is the district police chief of Shajoy district in Zabul, married for the third time recently, Hasht-e-Subh daily newspaper reported last week. He spent 5 million Pak rupees, over 24,000 USD, on his wedding, according to the report.
